


Family

by theRougeChevalier



Series: 25 days of Christmas [7]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas, F/M, Meet the Family, all the direwolves alive and well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-02
Updated: 2016-01-02
Packaged: 2018-05-11 04:33:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5614075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theRougeChevalier/pseuds/theRougeChevalier
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Number 7 in my 25 days of Christmas short writing challenge.  </p>
<p>7. Family </p>
<p>Jon is finally convinced to bring his girlfriend Ygritte home to meet the family, over Christmas.  What could possibly go wrong?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Family

**Author's Note:**

> This is kind of my take on how the Stark family would be in a modern setting free of political intrigue, violence, and death. Could actually be longer, possibly even a multi chapter, but for the sake of the challenge I kept it short. Next short will be another GOT pairing! ;)

7\. Family 

Jon couldn’t believe he was going to do this, in fact he had never done this. This was the first time he had ever brought a girlfriend home to meet his family and this wasn’t just some get to know you dinner, oh no it was Christmas. He was bringing his girlfriend home for Christmas. 

The fact that they had never met her before had definitely been brought up by his father, and his stepmother, and his brothers, and at least one of his sisters, Sansa didn’t care so much, but Arya was very put out that she had yet to be introduced to this ‘woman’ in Jon’s life. Even Ygritte wanted to know why it had taken him so long to introduce her to his family. 

She had been incensed at first thinking that he was ashamed of her, but the truth was he was more worried about the impression his family would make then anything else. When he told her so she had boxed his ears all the same chastising him “How dare you be ashamed of your family! At least you have one!” That had been a wakeup call for Jon since Ygritte had no family to speak of. She had been raised by her uncle and had a few older cousins, but it wasn’t the same kind of home life Jon had enjoyed even if Jon was only a half-brother to all his siblings. And even if his step mother treated him with a distant sort of care he really couldn’t blame her. He and Robb were only a few months apart in age meaning that his father Eddard had to have impregnated his mother when he was already married to Catelyn. 

Had his mother survived his birth, Jon had no doubt that he would have been raised by her whilst Eddard provided child support and did his best to see him every other weekend as would have been the noble thing to do, but alas he would never know his mother and had been raised alongside his half brothers and sisters as one of the family. He couldn’t say he was sorry for it, they never treated him differently and if a few sour looks and a distant regard from Catelyn were all he had to suffer he was still better off than having no mother at all. 

So that had been the proverbial blow to his senses that Jon needed to agree to bring Ygritte home for Christmas. 

His family had been more than a little surprised when they found out he even had a serious girlfriend. He had never really dated that much in high school, and many of them had likely suspected he was gay, but Jon had always been a serious sort of guy. When he decided to enroll in his uncle’s alma mater Castle Black University, majoring in International Affairs and joined the on campus officer training program for the Army, no one was really surprised. 

He spent his first semester working hard, nose to the grind stone, he wasn’t interested in going to parties or meeting girls; he was too busy training or studying. Constantly trying to prove himself to his superiors and his professors, he was there to achieve his life goals and be the best he could be as a soldier and a student. 

Ygritte had been unplanned, but many would tell him later that love usually is. She came out of the blue and latched onto him like a lichen. It was obvious to his friends, in the beginning, that it was a one way romance, she always seemed to pop up wherever Jon would go on campus. Thankfully it hadn’t become so persistent as to seem stalkerish, but they could definitely tell that she was into him although he seemed oblivious. To this day Jon’s best friend Sam still finds it a miracle they got together at all with how obtuse Jon was being. 

Jon couldn’t really say when they’re relationship had changed emotionally from reluctant acquaintances, to frenemies, to unlikely companions and then to a romantic couple. They still did all the same things they had done when they were just friends, but now with added physical intimacy, emotional attachment, and public displays of affection, which he was not complaining about in the slightest. 

Jon was ashamed to admit the first time he realized they were actually a couple was when Ygritte told him so. It was in January of their second semester, after their return from winter break when they were walking across campus arm and arm talking about all they’d done while they were home. Jon said something about how much he missed her and that she had to know how much he cared for her, when she stopped and stared at him with a hard look before saying, “You better care you dolt, I am your girlfriend after all.” 

In Jon’s defense he didn’t protest simply leaned into kiss her and whispered “I love you.” It was a great save if he did say so himself. 

He had had several qualms about telling his family he had one, but to quell there constant harping about whether or not he had a girlfriend he finally did. However the silence on the topic did not last long for it then became when were they going to meet her? It said a lot that he and Ygritte had been together over a year almost and he had kept them from meeting this long, but his family was large and loud and most of all he didn’t want anything his stepmother said or did to taint Ygritte’s opinion of him. His family often tried to assure him that Catelyn cared about him in her own way, but he was never so sure. 

But it seemed karma was out to get him for because of his lollygagging he and Ygritte would now have to spend the whole holiday with his family instead of just one uncomfortable dinner it would be days of potential embarrassment. 

But here they were on their way to the BIG family gathering, he could only hope that things would go smoothly and at the very least, no one would kill each other.   
*~*~*~*~*~

 

It was two days till Christmas as Jon drove them down the long lane way to Winterfell. Although Winterfell was south of Castle Black the ground was still covered with snow and it wasn’t much warmer. 

 

He heard Ygritte gasp as Winterfell came into view. He thought he had adequately warned her, by telling her about the historied and noble heritage of the Stark family, but apparently not. 

 

“You live in a castle!?....” She said excitedly. 

 

“It’s only partially a castle.” He defended with a smirk. Though from her cocked eyebrow he could tell she wasn’t buying it. 

 

As they pulled up to the front yard and put the car in park he warned her one more time. “Careful when you get out, the moment they realize we're here we’ll be accosted by a pack of dogs and their pets.” 

 

Ygritte smiled at his joke and rolled her eyes and made a put upon sigh before playfully punching him in the arm. He smirked mischievously, although he had his reservations about bringing Ygritte it was already more fun with her here. 

 

As predicted the moment they got out of the car the front doors flew open and a pack of dogs came rushing out barking excitedly followed by an equally excitable herd of siblings. 

 

Shouts of “Jon!” Filled the air mixing with the barks to create a cacophony of sound. Jon didn’t have time to brace himself as two bodies collided with him at full force and they all went falling backwards into the snow. Soon they were all laughing and the dogs were trying to drown him in drool. 

 

“Hey! Let me up! I missed you guys too!” He said with a laugh as he looked down at the two attached to his torso. Arya was grinning her eyes sparkling with mischief as always, she was 16 now and if anything her talent for trouble had only grown along with her and little Rickon, no longer so little, he had hit his first growth spurt this year and was now almost as tall as Arya, Jon had a feeling that in another 3 or 4 years he would tower over them all. 

 

They loosened their grip to allow him to sit up as Shaggy Dog and Nymeria gave his face one last lick. Arya soon found herself knocked aside with a “Hey!” as a large white wolf pushed forward to his master. Jon brushed his neck and scratched him behind the ears. “Hey Ghost, I missed you too.” 

 

“Ingrate!” He heard Arya curse as she thwacked at Ghost’s tail. 

 

Jon looked up from the smiling faces of his siblings to see Ygritte smiling down at him brilliantly. “Welcome home brother.” He heard from the door and looked up to see Robb standing in the doorway beside Bran in his wheelchair. 

 

“Good to see you brother.” He greeted getting up and brushing himself off before shaking Robb’s hand only to be pulled into a half hug. “When did you get in?” Jon asked, Robb had chosen to go to his mother’s alma mater in Riverrun, further South. Eddard had not been a fan of the decision and truth be told Catelyn would also have liked her eldest child closer to home, but to her Riverrun was the next best thing. 

 

“Sunday.” “Where’s Talisa?” Jon quite liked Robb’s girlfriend, who had come home to visit last Christmas. She and Robb had met in Robb’s very first week at Riverrun and had been instantly smitten and almost inseparable. She was from abroad so he had invited her home for Christmas. Jon knew Talisa and Ygritte would get along so he was sorry to note her absence. 

 

“Since she stayed here last year she thought it would be best to go home for Christmas this year, I wanted to go with her, but you know what mom is like. So I’m flying out for New Year’s Eve and spending a week or so there with she and her family.” 

 

Jon delivered the same handshake/half hug to Bran. “How you doing little brother?” He asked. Bran had taken a terrible fall rock climbing a few years earlier that had paralyzed him from the waist down, it had been a Stark family hobby, but Catelyn was so shaken by Bran’s fall she forbade any of them to do it anymore, as such Rickon had never even been climbing. But luckily Robb and Jon were able to encourage Bran that he could still do other sports and had gotten him interested in gymnastics, it was a long road, but it boosted Bran's confidence and brought him back from the edge of depression and Bran was finally starting to get good at it and he had the arm definition to prove it. 

 

“Great! I’ve got my first competition coming up in January will you come?!” He asked eagerly. 

 

Jon grinned, “You bet, I wouldn’t miss it.” 

 

“Aren’t you going to introduce us to your friend?” Arya interrupted with her typical sass. 

 

Jon looked back at Ygritte who had been watching the whole exchange and instantly felt guilty for leaving her standing there, although she was smiling so she must not have been too put out. “Of course, of course.” He scurried back to her side and placed his hand on the small of her back and smiled down at her. “Everyone this is my girlfriend, Ygritte Wilding. Ygritte, this is my brother Robb and Grey Wind,” He said gesturing to man and wolf, Ygritte stepped forward and shook his hand. Robb smiled and nodded his acknowledgment. 

 

“My little brother Bran and Summer.” 

 

Ygritte shook his hand as well and smiled warmly. “Pleased to meet you.” Bran said. Ygritte returned the sentiment. 

 

“This is of course Arya.” Jon said with a grin motioning to his mischievous favorite sibling. 

 

Ygritte smiled as she stepped forward. “So this is the Arya of great acclaim. Jon has told me so much about you.” 

 

Arya gave a little smirk. “I was the first one he showed your picture too, I told him you were too good looking for him.” She said with a glint in her eye. 

 

“Hey!” Jon retorted reaching for her as she ducked out of reach. Ygritte laughed and reaches out to shake Arya’s hand. “I like you already.” She says and the girls share a look that let’s Jon know he’s in for it with them together. 

 

“And this is my littlest brother Rickon and his terror Shaggy Dog.” Jon said with a grin. 

“I’m not little anymore! I’m 10!” Rickon protested scratching Shaggy Dog behind the ears. 

 

“Certainly not.” Ygritte agreed forcing a serious face for Rickon’s sake though her eyes shined with mirth. 

 

“And last, but not least, this is my best friend in the whole world, Ghost.” He said kneeling down beside his beloved companion. Honestly he would bring him to school with him if they would let him in the dorms. Ygritte kneeled down in front of Ghost and put her hand out for him to sniff. Ghost did and licked her fingers by way of showing he accepted her. He then snuffled and stepped forward right into her lap. She teetered a little but grabbed onto his coat and laughed. “Hi Ghost! I’m glad I meet with your approval.” Jon smiled to see Ghost and Ygritte getting along. 

 

“Don’t you have another sister?” Ygritte asked after a moment. 

 

“Ah yes? Has anyone seen?” Before he could finish Sansa swanned out the front door bundled up in a designer coat trailed by her beloved Lady. “Here I am!” She said with a sly smile. “Honestly some of us are civilized enough to put on our winter clothes before dashing outside in this ghastly weather.” Sansa was less than a year away from finishing high school and yet she was beautiful beyond her years, something that gave their father angina pain on a regular basis. Although she was beautiful and perhaps a bit of a prima donna, she was far from stupid, she had been baptized by fire by some excessive school drama a few years back and no longer allowed herself to fall prey to anyone. She may be beautiful, but like Arya she was a force to be reckoned with when crossed, Jon weeped for the world when she went to college. 

 

She hugged Jon lightly and kissed him on both cheeks. She held his arm in her tight grip as she turned to face Ygritte putting her other hand out. “Sansa Stark.” 

 

“Ygritte Wilding. Pleasure to meet you.” 

 

Sansa grinned. “I love your jacket.” She commented. “Thank you.” Ygritte replied, “Jon bought it for me.” 

 

“Oh I know.” She said with an evil grin tightening her grip on Jon’s arm. “I helped him pick it out. Men are so helpless at fashion. But Jon does have good taste choosing a red head for his girlfriend.” She winked at Ygritte and Ygritte chuckled. “Yes we do have some much more fun.” She winked back and they laughed together. If Ygritte got along this well with both his sisters Jon knew he was wholly and truly screwed. 

 

“It’ll be nice to have another mature female to talk to this holiday.” Sansa remarked offhandedly purposefully needling Arya who took the bait. “Hey!” She shouted. 

 

Thank the gods for Robb though. “Alright ladies that’s enough for now, Jon we’ll get your bags why don’t you go in and greet mom and dad.” 

 

Jon swallowed. “Are you sure?” 

 

Sansa squeezed his arm to reassure him and gave him a kind smile before turning to Ygritte, “Of course, they’re not as scary as all that.” 

 

“Of course not, don’t be dramatic Jon.” Ygritte agreed grabbing her host gift off the back seat and taking Jon’s hand. “Let’s go in hmm?” Jon nodded and led the way into the double doors. 

 

The doors opened upon to the foyer where they removed their coats and boots and opened into the formal dining room and kitchen.

 

“Jon is that you?” He heard his father call from the kitchen. “Yeah dad!” He called back leading Ygritte forward into the kitchen. As soon as they walked in Ned engulfed him in a big hug as always flanked by his loyal wolf hounds Juri and Tom. “Son! Welcome home!” Jon returned it wholeheartedly. “Thanks dad.” 

 

Ned pulled back and turned to Ygritte. “You must be Ygritte. I’d say Jon’s told me so much about you, but it would seem he’s eager to keep you all to himself.” Ned needled. Ygritte smiled and put her hand out to shake. “Pleased to meet you Mr. Stark.” 

 

Ned brushed it away and said “Please, my friends call me Ned.” And he engulfed her in a similar hug which she awkwardly returned. “It’s so nice to have you here.” 

 

“Thank you for having me.” She said a blush staining her cheeks as she pulled back. 

 

From around the island came Catelyn Stark, trailed by her cocker spaniel Nan. “You are most welcome my dear. Welcome back Jon.” She said cooly, but with a smile. 

 

“Oh may I introduce, my lovely wife, Catelyn Stark.” Ned said by way of introduction. Ygritte once again put her hand out to shake which Catelyn took. 

 

“Pleased to meet you Mrs. Stark. You have a lovely home.” 

 

“Thank you, you may call me Catelyn if you like. My house would be lovelier if it wasn’t always overrun with dogs.” She said with a half chuckle elbowing Ned slightly. Ned laughed in return. 

 

“Don’t listen to her, she would hate for this big old place to be quiet. She often tells me with Robb and Jon gone its already much to quiet. We’ll make sure to change that this holiday won’t we?” He said merrily. 

 

She smiled right back and nodded. “I have a gift. To thank you for having me.” She said holding out the brightly colored bag she brought in. 

 

“Oh how thoughtful.” Catelyn said approvingly, as she took the bag. 

 

Ned removed the gift from the bag “Ho, ho ho!” He laughed inspecting the bottle “What is this?” 

 

“It’s Dark Forest Whiskey, my uncle brews it himself.” She said by way of explanation. 

 

“He brews it?!” Ned said excitedly. “I’ve only heard legends of this stuff, its supposed to be the strongest whiskey in the whole of the kingdoms?” 

 

“Yes, it is. Will warm you right up on a day like this. We only drink one shot at a time though for safety.” She said with a grin and a wink. 

 

Ned laughed. Catelyn was pulling a box of chocolates from the bag as well and smiled warmly at Ygritte, “These are so thoughtful thank you dear.” 

 

Ned said the same and put the bottle on the counter. He patted both of them on the shoulder as the other kids came in from the cold with their bags. “I’m sure you two would like to get settled, Why don’t you go on up to Jon’s old room and freshen up and we’ll put on a pot of cocoa to warm everyone up. Maybe use a little bit of that whiskey hey?” He winked at Ygritte “Yes, sir.” He laughed. 

 

“Great.” 

 

“Dad can we build a snow fort?” Rickon asked as he bounded into the kitchen. 

 

“Of course we can! After cocoa! Everyone will join and we can have a snowball fight!” 

 

“Yeah!” Rickon and Arya cheered together. “Oh no.” Robb echoed with a chuckle. 

 

He helped them get their bags up to their room as everyone else settled into the kitchen. 

 

“Don’t take too long you two, or dad and I might just drink all that good whiskey I saw on the table down there.” Robb said with a wink poking Jon in the side earning him a few playful punches to the torso before he left closing the door behind him with a laugh. 

 

Ygritte watched from beside the bed chuckling herself. Once they were alone Jon heaved a sigh. “So, what do you think so far? Ready to run for the hills?” 

 

Ygritte laughed again and threw her arms around Jon’s neck. “Not at all. I like them. However you were right about the boisterousness and the excessive openness.” She said, “But it’s charming. Even your stepmother seemed civil.” 

 

Jon nodded, “Yeah no one is more surprised about that than me. But you seem to have won her over, all of them actually. If I’m not careful they’ll vote me out and replace me with you. Sansa and Arya have always wanted another sister.” 

 

Ygritte laughed her eyes glowing with radiance as she pulled him in close. “I would be glad to help them out with that.” She gave him a light kiss on the lips. “I really would.” She said in a whisper. 

 

Jon kissed her again and whispered back, “Good because you’re part of this family now and there is no getting out of it.” 

 

They shared another longer kiss before Ygritte leaned back to stare deeply into Jon’s eyes. “You’re all the family I need Jon, but I’m beyond grateful you would share yours with me.” 

 

“What’s mine is yours and what’s yours is mine, always.” He replied leaning in for another kiss. 

 

Maybe this family holiday was a better idea than he first thought….

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for reading! Also thank you for waiting patiently for the next update of my 25 days of Christmas challenge. I realize I am way behind my preset deadline, but I am determined to finish this challenge. So bear with me and enjoy a little more Christmas spirit throughout the month of January, we all need a little extra throughout the year right?


End file.
